different boat manufacturers

[simple]

I was thinking that it might be nice to have a post where we could rate all the different boat manufacturers. I think this would be helpful for people who are buying boats, as this would help with the buying experience. I don't want this to get negative and bash different makes, but just to discuss what's out there and how they rate for the money.<br /><br />For example: How would people rate the following manufacturers? I've listed only a few to get us started. When I ask how would people rate these makes, I'm asking about reputation, quality, design, cost, and any other comments that might be helpful.<br /><br />Bayliner<br />Glastron<br />Chaparral<br />Fourwinns<br />Seaswirl

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

You may want to specify what type - bowrider? fish-n-ski? deckboat? Each builder has his niche.

 

[TheChad]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Yeah this idea would be nice... Though It would get huge cuz of all the different type of boats out there..<br /><br />For example i am Dieing to know what people would rate Lowe boats, I have done countless searches on google, and yahoo, and haven't found any 3rd party reviews of Lowe. Same with Lund.<br /><br />-TheChad

 

[simple]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Originally posted by KCook:<br /> You may want to specify what type - bowrider? fish-n-ski? deckboat? Each builder has his niche.

Bowriders. Although I'm up for other areas.

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

I will say that breaking this down by attributes is a new game. So here goes ....

Reputation

• Chaparral, Four Winns
  Seaswirl, Glastron, Rinker, Stingray
  Bayliner, Caravelle

Quality

• Four Winns
  Chaparral
  Caravelle, Seaswirl
  Bayliner, Glastron, Rinker, Stingray

Design

• Chaparral
  Four Winns
  Stingray
  Bayliner, Caravelle, Glastron
  Rinker, Seaswirl

Price

• Chaparral
  Four Winns
  Caravelle, Glastron, Rinker, Seaswirl, Stingray
  Bayliner

As a hopeless troublemaker I threw in Caravelle, Rinker, and Stingray for a bonus

Back to the bunker,
Kelly

 

[simple]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Originally posted by KCook:<br /> I will say that breaking this down by attributes is a new game. So here goes ....<br /><br /> Reputation <br />

• <br />
• Chaparral, Four Winns<br />Seaswirl<br />Glastron, Rinker, Stingray<br />Bayliner, Caravelle<br />

<br /><br /> Quality <br />

• <br />
• Four Winns<br />Chaparral<br />Caravelle<br />Bayliner, Glastron, Rinker, Seaswirl, Stingray<br />

<br /><br /> Design <br />

• <br />
• Chaparral<br />Four Winns<br />Stingray<br />Bayliner, Caravelle, Glastron<br />Rinker, Seaswirl<br />

<br /><br /> Cost <br />

• <br />
• Chaparral<br />Four Winns<br />Caravelle, Glastron, Rinker, Seaswirl<br />Bayliner, Stingray<br />

<br /><br /> As a hopeless troublemaker I threw in Caravelle, Rinker, and Stingray for a bonus <br /><br />Back to the bunker,<br />Kelly

KCook, great info. I do appreciate it. Let me ask you this: What makes Four Winns so much better in quality than say Glastron, Bayliner, or Rinker? Just curious of course.

 

[mallardjusted]

Re: different boat manufacturers

KCook,<br /><br />If your ratings are "best on top", then your last category is reversed for them all (i.e., Bayliners cost less money than Chaparral. etc).

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

simple - No single quality aspect, FW just does everything a little better. And in any event, the magnitude of the difference is not great. Really nit-picking here. For seriously better quality you have to step up to Bryant or Cobalt.<br /><br />Mallardjusted (luv that name ) - My interpretation was "most" on top, so the highest price goes on top. I think this is a little less confusing when the price order lines up (generally) with the other attributes. In any event, this attribute would have been really interesting if it had been "value" instead of "cost". As any price boat can, in theory, be a good value.<br /><br />Kelly

 

[mallardjusted]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Kelly,<br /><br />Thanks. Yes, value would be an interesting attribute, but I guess that's hard to rate as everyone has a different view of value. I guess that's why this website helps a lot, gleaning personal experience with many people with many varieties of boats!<br /><br />TheChad - I don't know if it would help, but the Lowe site has links to boating reviews for many of their boats. Of course they probably wouldn't link to them if they were bad reviews!!! I have a 17' Lowe Roughneck, and if there other models are similary constructed I would give them a high rating for the attributes noted.

 

[TheChad]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Originally posted by Mallardjusted:<br />TheChad - I don't know if it would help, but the Lowe site has links to boating reviews for many of their boats. Of course they probably wouldn't link to them if they were bad reviews!!! I have a 17' Lowe Roughneck, and if there other models are similary constructed I would give them a high rating for the attributes noted.

Thanks for the input. I did read those 'reviews' But they were more like sales flyers.. Not much of a review, because reviews will give the good and the bad, those were more like "here's the Spec's"<br /><br />Have you ever had any rivet problems with your lowe? I am considering getting a 2004 model for a discount, but pre 2005's are riveted. I have seen mixed feelings about rivets.. The part i see being the biggest problem is the rivits on the bottom that would hit/rub the trailer bunks.<br /><br />Thanks again,<br /><br />-TheChad

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Trailer bunks are usually carpeted, no problem whatever for rivets.<br /><br />Kelly

 

[DJ]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Kelly is obviously biased to Chap's. <br /><br />There are plenty more out there. One being Crownline.<br /><br />There is NO comparison to ALL the brands mentioned and a Cobalt.<br /><br />Boats are VERY difficult to compare. People buy boats for different reasons.<br /><br />Aluminum vs. fibergalss. Almost impossible to compare. Both have their qualities/drawbacks.<br /><br />If you want some fun at an affordable price, I have no problem with Bayliners, et al.<br /><br />Resale value, IMHO, is most often relative to the care that the unit has seen, not the brand name. A "very nice" Bayliner is going to bring a better dollar than an abused: Chap, Four Winns, etc. A "glistening" Bayliner is worth more to a potential buyer than a leaf/water filled Cobalt.<br /><br /><br />That's why I have NEVER lost money on a used boat purchase. It's all in the "eye candy" appeal. And, what you buy, used (condtion), to begin with.<br /><br />It's not unlike cars. A "used up" looking Ford Taurus is going to fetch allot less than a "cherry" one.<br /><br />I've sold what are considered to be "cheap boats" for top dollar and have seen more perceived to be "high line" boats bring less.<br /><br />Buy what you like. Get PLENTY of power in/on it and enjoy. Just make sure you keep it pristine. To me, that's half the fun.

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Kelly is obviously biased to Chap's.

That's funny DJ. Considering irate Chap owners have posted that I "have a problem with Chap"! Just because I do not recommend Chap in every case. As you said so well, people buy boats for different reasons.<br /><br />Kelly

 

[mallardjusted]

Re: different boat manufacturers

TheChad,<br /><br />The Lowe Roughnecks are welded aluminum. They do have some lesser-priced riveted series boats as well. When I was was boat shopping, welded was a must for me.

 

[TheChad]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Originally posted by Mallardjusted:<br /> TheChad,<br /><br />The Lowe Roughnecks are welded aluminum. They do have some lesser-priced riveted series boats as well. When I was was boat shopping, welded was a must for me.

Mallardjusted,<br /><br />Yeah I'd prefer to have welded as well. The 2005 Fish n Ski's are all welded. The 2004's and earlier are Riveted. The dealer has a couple of 2004's on the lot, that are about $3000 cheaper then the 2005's, but i still havent decided if i am willing to go riveted yet.<br /><br />-TheChad

 

[DJ]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Kelly,<br /><br />I remember that post. What a mess.<br /><br />I was just "pokin" at ya.

 

[KCook]

Re: different boat manufacturers

 

[pwiseman]

Re: different boat manufacturers

Originally posted by TheChad:<br /> Yeah this idea would be nice... Though It would get huge cuz of all the different type of boats out there..<br /><br />For example i am Dieing to know what people would rate Lowe boats, I have done countless searches on google, and yahoo, and haven't found any 3rd party reviews of Lowe. Same with Lund.<br /><br />-TheChad

I am one that spends a lot of time in Lund boats. Sold my 02 explorer 1650 and I did very well on resale. I pick up my 05 rebel 1450 next week. Lund has a very large number of models that cover the spectrum of small to huge. I live in Minnesota, were they are made, and they have a huge market share. The other two big ones are crestliner and alumicraft --also based in MN. They are all good boats, and one indicator is you constantly see these boats still in use when they are 20+ years old. My buddy has a 14 foot crestliner that is a 1957 model. We painted it and did some minor improvements to it this winter. It gets a lot of comments.<br /><br />I would also say that the recent trend in Lund and others is wider. I believe the most popular model this hear is the explorer 1800 which has a 96" beam. This has a lot to do with 4-stroke motors and dealing with the extra weight in back. I had a 50 Merc 4S on my 1650 and it could have used some smart tabs. Other than that, it was a great boat. Took it one some 20,000+ acre lakes and never had a second thought about the big chop that comes with the big lakes.<br /><br />If you ask me, 16 foot deep v with a 25 or a 14 footer with a 15 is hard to beat for fishing most situations. You can get in where the huge boats can't and you don't have 25K sitting in the garage. For the guys fishing big water situations all the time, hard to beat a warrior fiberglass or maybe a Tuffy. My dad has a Lund Tyee and he fishes the reserviors in South Dakota. He had a big fiberglass crestliner and he is pretty happy with the lund. He wanted the warrior, but settled for aluminum. Mostly $$ in that decision.<br /><br />As for the Lowe - I see those around, but not in the same numbers as the big three. They have limited models. I believe they are a southern outfit.<br /><br />Regional prefernces make a difference. I was looking pretty hard at a Triton deep v. They have no wood and are doing spray in liner. These are southern, and some of the features don't make sense here. Two 16" livewells instead of one big one. If you fish bass, this is not a problem, but what do you do with Northern, and walleye? The other thing that bugged me was the transom. You can't put a trolling motor back there unless you do a jack plate. I still think it was a nice boat.<br /><br />Overall it is hard to buy a bad aluminum boat in smaller sizes. They are very basic. As you get larger, the hull designs are more complicated. Most have strakes of some sort and you seed both welded and rivited models. You also see some very nice features

 

[mallardjusted]

Re: different boat manufacturers

.... but I wouldn't discount the Lowe boats.<br /><br />Lowe is headquartered in Missouri, but is owned by Brunswick. As far as "limited models" go, from their websites I saw 29 variations of models and sizes in the bass and ski/fishing boats, 26 models/sizes in the welded and riveted jon boats, and 10 boats in the "Utility" category.<br /><br />Unless I saw many posts about a lack of quality on any boat, I guess I would consider them all, and would rely on what is important to me in selecting a new boat? Everyone has a different set of criteria.

 

[s1jor]

Re: different boat manufacturers

mariah anybody????????????